


Taking Care

by Chelsea Frew (chelseafrew)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Illnesses, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-28
Updated: 2013-12-28
Packaged: 2018-01-06 12:20:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1106739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chelseafrew/pseuds/Chelsea%20Frew
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a concert, Harry is not feeling well. Louis takes care of him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Taking Care

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be a story for Harry/Louis Holidays. I ended up writing something entirely different, though, for that. I decided to finish this anyway and put it out there, since it was very nearly done when I started on the other story. My thanks to Cori for checking it over for me. Enjoy!!

As they came down the stairs behind the stage, Harry slipped. Fortunately, Louis had already made it to the bottom, and he was able to catch Harry when he fell, keeping him from landing on his ass.

"Whoa," Louis said, guiding Harry to the side of the staircase where they would not be in the way. During the show, Louis had noticed that Harry seemed a little off. He had sung his heart out, but he had definitely done so with less energy than he usually did. Now that Louis looked right at him, though, up close, he could see how pale Harry was. "Babe, you feeling okay?"

Harry's eyes were squeezed shut, and he shook his head. When he opened his mouth to speak, he immediately slapped a hand over it. His eyes flew open, and they scanned from left to right manically. When his eyes lit upon what he wanted, he extricated himself from Louis' grasp. Louis looked on, a little horrified, as Harry stumbled to a nearby rubbish bin and threw up into it. Yeah, Harry was most definitely not okay.

Louis moved to stand next to Harry and waited to see if Harry was done emptying the contents of his stomach. Harry stayed positioned over the bin for a couple seconds more before plastering himself to Louis' side.

Louis reached out a hand and placed it on Harry's forehead. He found it hot and clammy. "You're burning up, Hazza. We need to get you to a bed." He wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders, and Harry immediately put a great deal of his weight on Louis.

The nearest management person--a new guy called Travis-- cleared his throat and said, "The two of you can't be seen leaning on each other like that outside. There might be fans."

It was a struggle to do it with Harry half-draped over him, but Louis managed to swivel on his heel to face this guy. Fixing him with a steely glare, he said, "My boyfriend is sick. I am going to take him out to the bus and put him to bed. I don't really give a rat's ass what anyone sees."

Travis took a step back, clearly thrown by the act of defiance. Louis didn't wait to see what Mr. Management's next move was going to be. He turned both himself and Harry around to head toward the back of the backstage area, looking for the door which would lead to where the buses waited.

The further they walked, the more of his weight Harry put on Louis. Once outside, the ever-present sound of girls screaming assaulted them, but Louis was pretty good--at this point in the game--at ignoring them. He needed to focus on Harry. By the time they arrived at the steps up into the quiet bus, Louis was practically carrying him. Louis was trying to figure out just how he was going to get Harry up the stairs when Liam materialized out of nowhere.

"I'll get him on this side," Liam offered, not even waiting for Louis to respond before fitting himself under Harry's free arm.

Together, Louis and Liam managed to get Harry up the stairs and onto the bus. They guided him to a bed and gently deposited him on the edge.

"We'll stay on the other bus," Liam told Louis kindly. "Us and the band."

"Thanks, Li."

Liam looked from Louis to Harry and back. "Do you need anything before I go?"

"Can you just tell Paul we need some aspirin and lots of bottled water?" Louis requested.

Liam nodded. "Sure thing. Feel better, Harry." Harry lifted a hand to wave weakly before Liam turned to leave. Over his shoulder, he said, "Call or text if you need anything, yeah?"

"I will."

Now they were alone, Louis appraised Harry. Harry sat slumped over, his arms crossed over his stomach. Louis reached his hand out to Harry's forehead once again. It felt even hotter than it had just a short while ago.

Louis crouched down so he would be eye level with Harry when he opened his eyes. "Hey," he said softly.

Harry lifted watery eyes to regard Louis. "I feel like shit, Lou."

"I'm so sorry, love." Louis ran a gentle hand through Harry's curls. "Paul should be back with some aspirin soon, which should help the fever. How's your stomach?"

"Empty."

"Do you want to lie down, or do you want a shower first?" They tended to feel pretty grungy after a show, and Louis thought maybe a shower would temper the fever.

"Shower," Harry said definitively.

"Okay, then, let's get you up." 

Louis put a hand under Harry's nearest arm and helped him to stand. It was slow, but Harry was eventually upright. He stood still for a moment, his eyes closed, trying to get his bearings.

"You gonna make it?" Louis asked, worried.

Harry nodded slowly. "Think so."

"Do you need any help?"

This time, Harry shook his head.

"Okay. I'll find you something clean to sleep in."

"Thanks." Harry shuffled off in the direction of the small bus bathroom.

While Louis kept an ear out for Harry--in case he had any problems--he dug through Harry's duffle bag for a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. He also grabbed a towel from the cupboard where all the linens were stored. The shower was running when Louis went into the bathroom to leave the towel, set out Harry's new clothes, and pick up the ones he'd shed on the bathroom floor.

"How're you doing, baby?" he called out loud enough to be heard over the rushing water.

"'m okay," Harry called back, though his voice was definitely shaky.

"I've left a towel and some clean clothes for you."

"Thanks. Out in a minute."

Louis went back out to the bunk area and sat down to check his phone. He had texts from all the other boys asking after Harry. He smiled at their concern and sent back replies to all of them saying he was definitely sick, but that he was being taken care of. He was idly scrolling through his twitter feed when Harry reappeared dressed in the clothes Louis had collected for him. Louis immediately put his phone to the side to get up and help Harry back to his bunk.

Harry sat down heavily on the edge of the bunk and allowed Louis to aid him in getting into a horizontal position. Louis pulled all the covers up over Harry, reaching up to Niall's bunk to grab a second blanket to add, though Harry immediately said, "Too hot," so Louis took it right back off.

This was when Paul appeared. He was carrying five bottles of water and a small pill bottle. "How's he doing?" he asked Louis.

Louis leaned over and put his hand on Harry's forehead yet again. "He's still pretty warm. I'm not sure the shower did a lot for his fever. But he hasn't thrown up again, so that's good."

Paul handed over the water and the medicine. "Make sure he drinks as much water as you can get in him. It'll help with the fever."

"Thanks," Louis told him.

"Text or call if you need something, and I'll make them stop the buses so I can come over."

Louis nodded. "I will."

Paul traded places on the bus with the driver, Jake. Jake walked halfway down the aisle where the bunks were to ask Louis, "You guys okay for me to take off?"

"Yeah," Louis assured him.

"Cool," Jake said, backing up to head to the driver's seat.

Louis turned his attention back to Harry, who was busy burrowing himself under the blanket and sheets. "Hey, babe, I have aspirin. Do you think you can sit up for a second to take some?"

Harry murmured something which might have been assent, and he reluctantly pushed himself far enough upright to take two pills and a water bottle from Louis. After he swallowed the pills, Louis encouraged him to drink as much of the water as he could before laying back down. Harry managed three-quarters of the bottle before shoving it back toward Louis. "'m done."

Louis set the water bottle down, then helped Harry get arranged under the covers again. As he rose to leave Harry to rest, Harry grabbed his wrist. "No."

"Do you need something else? I can get a cool cloth for your head if that'll help," Louis offered.

"No. You," Harry clarified. "I want you. Lay with me?"

Louis smiled. "You want to take care of me next when I get whatever it is you've got?"

"I kissed you this morning, Louis. More than once," Harry pointed out sleepily. "Either your immune system is going to ignore it, or you've already got what I've got."

"Good point," Louis conceded. "Okay."

Harry gave Louis a sweet, triumphant smile, then closed his eyes and pushed his head into his pillow. Louis climbed carefully over Harry's side to fit himself behind him. It was a tight fit in one of the bus bunks, but they'd cuddled in this space before. The minute Louis slotted behind him, Harry pressed back against him. Louis wrapped his arms around the younger boy, placing a gentle kiss on the top of his head.

"Feel better, baby," Louis whispered, pulling Harry tightly to him.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me," Harry whispered back.

"I'll always take care of you." Louis wouldn't dream of doing any less.

End (27 December 2013)


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